The Aizu Samurai Documentary has now been posted to YouTube! There are 4 thirty-minute videos in the series, and lots of relevant information on the site! Enjoy!

In a visit to iCLA from the President and the Director of Japan Study at Earlham College, we featured for them our experiential learning, with Iai, Karate, Aikido, Calligraphy, and Tea Ceremony.

iCLA Students in a Workshop on Zen Meditation at Erinji, an historic Rinzai Zen Temple located in Yamanashi. The Zen Garden is a national treasure built by in 1330 by Musou Kokushi. Erinji is also where Takeda Shingen and his 24 Generals are buried. It is beautiful in all seasons, and visitors are welcome. http://erinji.jp/

Washi is handmade Japanese paper, used in Shodo, for screens, fans, and many daily life items. It is a craft going back centuries, and the Washi made here was approved for use by Takeda Shingen in the Sengoku Period (1467-1603).

Have a closer look at the handiwork of our students at iCLA!

They made these suits of Samurai Armor from scratch, with patience, concentration, and craftsmanship that fits the Samurai culture. We are very proud of them, and they will look great in the Shingenko Matsuri, surely a Memory for life.

We also watched students develop skills of discipline, attention to detail, and teamwork that surely will help them in their future career.

Each year students and professors from iCLA participate in the Shingenko Samurai Festival, wearing Samurai Armor which we made ourselves, under instruction by the Japan Handmade Samurai Armor Association.